Surface drain



M. A. SISK SURFACE DRAIN Aug. 1 9, 1952 2 SHEETS-SHEET l `Filed Feb. 25, '194e INVENToR .l klamm/swg v ATTORNEYS Aug. 19, 1952 M. A. slsK 2,607,434

` SURFACE DRAIN Filed Feb. 25, le@ f v Y 2 sHEETs--sx-1EET 2v Znt/entof ,MartmASisk :in the floors of shower baths, roadways,

Patented Aug. 19, 1952 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SURFACE DRAIN y Martin A. Sisk, Pittsburgh, Pa. YApplication February 23, 1946, Serial No. 649,537

1 My invention relates to surface drains for use decks kof ships, floors and roofs of buildings, and the like, to provide debris-excluding protection at the inlets of drain openings or pipes. The structure of the invention will also nd utility as a guard for pipes and openings of any sort in which liquid is received, and in the operation oi which it is desirable to exclude solids 'of a size that might 'clog the opening, or ythe pipe leading therefrom.

The invention consists in certain new and useful improvements in drain construction, by virtue of which mechanical superiority is obtained, installations facilitated, conditions of sanitation improved, V'and maintenance rendered more economical.

The improvements of the invention will, by way of example and not limitation, be described vas they have been perfected for surface drains that are used in floors. .In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a View in plan of a square or rectangular drain embodying the invention;

Fig'. 2 is a 'View in cross section of the `structure of Fig. l, as seen on a medial vertical plane;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view, showing in vertical section, on the plane III- III of Fig. .1, the structure of one oi the corners of thedrain of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the grate of the drain structure of Figs. 1 and 2,- las seen on the plane IVe-IV of Fig. 2';

Fig. 5 is a view in plan of an octagonal drain embodying the improvements of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the octoganal drain, on the plane VI--VI of Fig'. 5; and

'7 is a fragmentary' sectional view of the drain body of Fi'g'sf and 6', as seen von the section plane VI--VII of Fig. 5.A I

In general, an'outlet or 'door drain of the type in mind consists in a cup-shaped body that is embedded in the iioor structure whose surface is to be drained, and the. inlet of the body is covered by a removable grate whose upper face lies ush with such surface.. The body oi the drain forms a belled termirvius Yat the end .of a drain .pipe laid beneath or within the floor structure. l'

In the usual prior structures the grate, consisting in a perforate plateof metal, rests at its periphery in a rabbeted seat formed in the rim of the cup-shaped body of' the drain, and the Water enters the drain through holes in the grating that are located inwardly from the rim of the drain body and/ or 'are 'restricted at the rim of the grate, with the resultthat the flowing water .floor structure beneath the does not completely flush or wash the inner 'surface of the 'side wall of the drain body. Consequently, debris carried by the waste water tends to accumulate on such surface of the drain body, especially just below the grate, and between the 'seat andthe edge of the grate. The accumulated debris over a period of time is' subject to decomposition, crea'ting foul odors and unsanitary conditions. In order to 'cleanse such drains, it is necessary to remove the grate and scrub or scrape away the accumulations-manifestly a disagreeable tasl. An important feature of this invention resides in the `elimination of these objections able conditions.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 the drain is of square or rectangular form as viewed in plan. The side wall I'lc'r of the drain body above the iflange Ilf is square, providing 'a square rim IIb that encompasses the inlet of the drain, while the inclined portion l ld of the drain body slopes to the threaded outlet He, by means of which the drain body may be secured to the threaded terminal of a drain Ypipe on the `inlet Side of a 'conventional trap (not shown) vIn lieu of the threaded outlet He the drain body Imay be shaped below the tapered wall portion l lid to forni a bell-'and-spigot joint with the terminus of a drain pipe. Alternatively, the drain outlet may open laterally instead oi downwardly'throu'gh the walls of the drain body below the side wall portion l I'a. Such details are well known to the art. In the installation of the drain in'accordance with usual practice the upper portion of the drain bo'dy is arranged to extend upwardly through an opening formed in the usual membrane oi ilashin'gsheet (not shown) of Ylead or tar paper provided in the floor surface, with which door surface the top edge l'lb of the drain body lies ilush. The edge of the flashing sheet rests on the surface of the flange Hf, and any water which might seep from the floor 4surface downward between the drain body and the adjacent surface 'of the licor is caught and drained through weep or seepage holes 1 into the drain body. The flange llf has rounded `corners as shown in Fig. l, and the flashing" sheet has a correspondingly shaped opening, whereby the edge of the -ilashing sheet, indicated by the broken line da, may be clamped tothe flange to provide a liquid-tight union for the purpose already des scribed. At the corners the drain body has four lugs l i g to cooperate with clamping devices, with which this invention is not immediately concerned. y

' The drain body is provided with a bo'ss Hh in each corner to `support the 'grate I2, these bosses being cast integrally in the drain body, with the drain body inset (save for the lugs I Ig) at the corners, as shown at I I i in Figs. 1 and 3, to conserve metal. The bosses II h extend with smooth surfaces from the grate downward to the inclined wall Hd, whereby there are no obstructions to receive and retain debris or sediment. The internal surfaces of this square drain provide an unrestricted continuous downsweep for flushing water. y

The grate I2 is formed as an integral casting, including two bearer bars I2a and a series of six spaced cross bars, the two outer cross bars I2b being heavier and thicker than the medial cross bars I2d, and in a, sense constitute bearer bars as well as cross bars. The outer cross bars I2b form with the bearer bars I2a a square frame, from the corners of which supporting lugs I 2c extend to seat upon the top faces IIc of the bosses IIh, on the drain body to support the grate. Between the square frame and the adjacent rim I I b of the drain inlet a drainage slot I3 is formed, this slot being in effect continuous throughout the peripheral extent of the drain inlet, whereby in service the entire internal surface of the side wall of the drain body is flushed by an unrestricted downsweeping ow of drainage liquid, with the good effects noted.

It will be understood that the top faces of the grate lugs I2c lie in common plane with the upper edges of the bearer bars I2a, and that such plane is arranged at an interval below the plane of the rim IIb of the drain body, while the upper edges of the cross bars I2b and I2d lie in the plane of said rim IIb. This affords what may be termed a cleansweep grate, for by virtue of such structure a broom may be used readily to sweep the slots I 2e between the cross bars of the grate and the peripheral slot I3 clean of any debris that may tend to accumulate on or between the bars of the grate or between the grate 'and the rim of the drain body.

Considering the matter of manufacture, it is to be noted that both the square drain body and square grate may be easily cast in green sand molds, with the use of only one dry sand core moldable `in Va one-part core-box. It is particularly to lbe noted of the grate I2 that all the side surfaces of the bearer bars I 2a, cross bars I2b and I 2d, and lugs I2C, which extend below the plane of the upper edges of the bearer bars I2a, are drafted downwardly, while all sides of the cross bars I2b and I2d above such plane are drafted upwardly. Accordingly, the parting line or Vplane of the green sand mold may be coincident with the common plane of the tops of the lugs I2C and the upper edges of the bearer bars I 2a. Thus it is thatall of the surfaces of the cross bars I2 b and I 2d which are exposed at the top of the drain are surfaces that in the casting operation are formed within matrix portions of the-mold removed from the parting line, whereby it is only smooth cast surfaces, free from any yfins or flashing, that are exposed aty the top ofthe drain. No machining or nishing isrequired'to adapt the cast grate for service.

It will be understood that a drain having a flat sided rim particularly adapts itself for use ina floorghaving a tiled surface, since the laying of individual tiles against the straight sides Y of thepdrainrim may be done more easily and neatly .than against a curved drain rim. The advantages of a fiat sided rim may be had in a drain rim having a greater number of sides than four, say in an octagonal rim I6b, as shown in Figs. 5 to 7, which approximates and in some installations excels the appearance of a circular drain.

The side wall |60I of the drain body of Figs. 5 to 7 is provided with clamping lugs ISg, and in the interval between the flange I6f and the horizontal plane denoted by the line |211 the side wall is substantially cylindrical. At such plane the side wall is offset outwardly to provide the octagonal form of the rim I 6b. This offset in side wall I6a is provided at the corners of the Octagon only, forming fiat seats I 6h for the grate I 1, and from the opposite sides of these flat seats the adjacent internal surfaces I6c of the drain body are sloped downwardly, and are curved in such manner as to merge with the cylindrical internal surface of the side wall portion Ilia. Thus, except for the flat seats Ih, there are no ledges or thelike to interfere with the continuous, smooth internal surface of the drain body above the ange ISf, and below the ange the drain body converges,at I6d, to the threaded outlet I6e. Since the octagonal structure affords more grate-supporting points than the square or rectangular structure, the Octagonal structure is more durable for larger and heavier types of drains.

The grate I'I is provided with lsupporting lugs I1c located at the corners of the Octagon. The grate I I does not have any of its lugs I'Ic formed to receive the grate-securing screws, such screws being unnecessary in most instances, but may be used if required.' It is important to note that the lugs I'Ic cover the entire surface areas of the seats I 5h which they engage, and thus it is that within the drain body there are in fact no ledges, recesses or other obstructions to the clear downsweep which the internal surface of the drain body presents to the flushing flow of water that streams immediately from the rim Ib` into the slot I8 formed by and between the rim of the drain body and the peripheral edge I'Ia of the grate.

The grate I 'I is manifestly designed for production in a simple casting operation, employing a green sand mold. K

In all of the drain structures disclosed herein the general features of my invention will be found. My drain structure is self-cleansing, and to what has already beenY said I may add that the essential advantages of the costly flushing type drains are obtained Vin a relatively inexpensive construction which avoids the need of running pipes for flushing water to the drain installation. v

In the several forms of the drain disclosed herein, the inlet of the drain body, andthe grate coveringvthe same, are shown to be arranged in horizontal position, but it `will 4be understood that the inlets and gratesrof the various surface drain structures may be inclined to the hori- Zontal, and/0r may be of angular construction, as the well-known curb and corner drains are now constructed.

Noticeis hereby given of my application Serial No. 288,774, filed May 20, 1952, forming a continuation-impart of the application for these Letters Patent. Other species of my drain structure than those herein described are covered in my divisional applications for Letters Patent, Serial No. 174,935 and Serial No. 174,936, both filed on July 30, 1950.

'From the foregoing specification, it will be understood that many modifications and variations are permissible without departing from the Y invention defined in the .appended claims.v

I claim: l

l. In a surface drain comprising a drain body d provided with an inlet and having a peripheral side wall extending downward from the rim of said inlet to a circular outlet, said side wall comprising a peripheral succession of flat wall portions extending downward from said rim and fairing smoothly with an annular peripheral wall portion that slopes downwardly to said outlet, forming an internal surface -in the drain body that provides a continuous downsweep that is substantially unrestricted throughout the peripheral extent of the side wall, a grate supported on the drain body in position across said inlet; said grate comprising a disk-like body having within its peripheral edge a system of;.perfor ations to provide for the drainage of liquid 'into said drain body, grate-seating means provided onY said drain body within and below ysaid rim, said grate being supported on and covering said seating means with said peripheral edge of the grate spaced at an interval inward from the adjacent edge of said rim of the drain body and forming therewith a drainage slot that opens between said edge of the rim and said edge of the grate and extends in substantial continuity throughout the periphery of said inlet, whereby in service the entire internal surface of said side wall is ushed by an unrestricted downsweeping flow of drainage liquid.

2. In a surface drain comprising a drain body provided with an inlet of polygonal form as viewed in plan and having a peripheral side wall extending downward from to an outlet, grate-supporting means on the drain body within and below said rim, and a polygonal grate supported on said means in position across said inlet; the invention herein described wherein said grate comprises a plurality of spaced cross bars cast integrally with and supported at their ends upon bearer bars, the bodies of said cross bars and the bodies of said bearer bars, as the bars are severally viewed in cross section, being convergently tapered or drafted in opposite directions from a plane extending medially of the grate structure and parallel to the plane of expanse thereof.

3. In a surface drain comprising a drain body provided with an inlet of rectangular form, as viewed in plan, and having a peripheral side wall extending downward from the rim of said inlet to an outlet, grate-supporting means located on the drain body at the corners of said inlet and within and below the rim thereof, and a grate comprising a rectangular disk-like perforate body having an integral lug extending diagonally outward from each corner of the rectangle, said lugs seating severally on the grate-supporting means at the corners of the drain body, with the perimeter of the grate spaced at an interval inward from the adjacent edge of said rim of the drain body and forming therewith a drainage slot that opens between said edge of the rim and said edge of the grate and that extends in substantial continuity throughout the periphery of said inlet, whereby in service the entire internal surface of said side wall is flushed by an unrestricted downsweeping iiow of drainage liquid.

4. In a surface drain comprising a drain'body provided with an inlet and having a peripheral rim of polygonal shape in plan and a side wall extending downwardly to an outlet, and a grate supported on the drain body in position across said inlet; the invention herein described wherein the side wall of the drain body comprises an the rim of said inlet internallsurface formedofnatportions that ex tend downward :severally'.fromzthefstraight inner edge portions of-said-peripheral rimwand, fair with an internal surface-portionfof Voircularuforin in `horizontal section; 'saidY internalzfsurface ,por-

tions providing a` downsweep; that is substantiallycovering said seating mea-ns; said grate rim'being substantially flush with Athe surface tobe drained, the straight outer edge portionsk of said grate rim being severally :spaced inward from the straight inner edge portions of'thddrain-body .rim and forming therewith a continuous vperipheral'succession of straight drainage slctsthatrare'iiush with the surfacetobe drained.thatin-depth substantially lequal the'thicknessoffthe .grate rim, and that communicate" directly withv the drain outlet, wherebyl in servicethe entire in` ternal surface of said side wall is flushed by an unrestricted downsweeping flow of drainage liquid.

5. The structure of claim 4, wherein said grate is polygonal as viewed in plan and comprises a plurality of spaced cross bars cast integrally with and supported at their ends upon bearer bars, the bodies of said cross bars and the bodies of said bearer bars, as the bars are severally viewed in cross section, being convergently tapered or drafted in opposite directions from a plane extending medially of the grate structure and parallel to the plane of expanse thereof.

6. In a surface drain comprising a drain body provided with a polygonal inlet having a rim adapted to lie iiush with the surface to be drained, said drain body having a peripheral side wall extending downwardly from said rim to an outlet, and a grate of polygonal form corresponding to said inlet supported on the drain body in position across the inlet; the invention herein described wherein the side wall of the drain body is formed with an internal surface that extends downwardly from the polygonal inner edge of said rim to said outlet, providing a continuous downsweep that is smooth and substantially unrestricted throughout the peripheral and vertical extents of said side wall, said grate comprising a disk-like body having within its polygonal peripheral edge a system of perforations for the drainage of liquid into said drain body, grate seats formed only in the corners of said side wall of the drain body within and below said rim, said grate having at the corners of its polygonal body a plurality of lugs extending outwardly from the edge of the grate, said lugs being supported on and covering said grate seats in the corners of the side wall of the drain body, with said peripheral edge of the grate flush with said rim and with the surface to be drained, and with said edge of the grate spaced at an interval inwardly from the adjacent edge of said rim of the drain body and forming therewith a relatively wide drainage slot that extends in substantial continuity throughout the periphery of said inlet, whereby in service the entire internal surface of the drain body is iiushed by an unrestricted downsweeping flow of drainage liquid.

7. In a surface drain comprising a drain body provided with an inlet of polygonal form as viewed in plan and having a peripheral side wall `for the entrance of a iushing flow of drainage water to the internal surface of Vthe drain body, said grate-supporting means comprising elements of relatively narrow width extending across said slot'at widely spaced intervals inthe grateencompassing extent of' the slot,V the internal surface of said drain body between said gratesupporting means being smooth and continuous, and said slot being in vertical extent substantially equal to the thickness of the body of said grate, whereby the flow of drainage water effects an unrestricted downsweep flushing of the internal surface of said drain body.

8. The structure of claim 7, wherein said elements of relatively narrow width comprise lugs that are disposed below the rim of the drain body 8 and the top of the grate to provide against the tilting of the grate, as described.

MARTIN A. SISK.

REFERENCES CITED The following reierences are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 931,019 Dawes et al Aug. 10, 1909 1,348,945 Hirshstein Aug. 10, 1920 1,360,630 Fairtrae Nov. 30, 1920 1,434,254 ASanders Oct. 31, 1922 1,646,994 Decker Oct. 25, 1927 1,972,513 Drehmann Sept. 4, 1934 1,999,277 Boosey Apr. 30, 1935 2,101,978 Boosey Dec. 14, 1937 2,142,343 Boosey Jan. 3, 1939 2,279,633 Judell et a1 Api'. 14, 1942 2,400,070 Boosey May 14, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 10,026 Australia Nov. 6, 1933 10,219 Great Britain Aug. 10, 1886 

